Why? Indeed. Oh, the mundanity. What is there to say about an album that scores highly on proficiency, comes top of the class in sonics, and yet still almost completely fails to move you on any level other than 'this is an OK record'?

It's not until track four, the catchy 'Tomb With A View', that Diamond Plate actually alerts you to the fact that there might be something worth investigating here and, if you're a less patient headbanger than I, you might already have moved on to something more appealing by then.

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The trouble is there just isn't anything on 'Generation Why?' that will make you sit up and shout 'YES'!! - and that has to be a bad thing. The Chicago mob can put a tune together, no doubt about it, and when push comes to shove (as it does on the slothlike chug of 'Fools Paradise', or the slightly more exciting 'Waste Of Life'), they can even throw out a decent melodic solo.

Standout track 'Casualty Of War' is a fair stab at 'Bonded By Blood'-era Exodus but, everywhere else, I defy you not to open your mouth when listening to this album without letting the words 'we've heard it all before' slide out.

You won't be able to do it, and so, if you like tenth-generation warmed-up thrash Metal, then I heartily recommend this album to you. If you don't, let a more gullible friend buy it and just rip the best couple of tracks from him. Or her. Job done.